Veteran

However, you won't be able to initiate a voice chat. You also will not be able to use music from your hard drive, unless the game is specifically programed to take advantage of the feature. Unfortunately, no games will be able to take advantage of in-game custom soundtracks when the firmware update goes live. (However, future games and game patches can enable this feature. It depends on whether or not the developer chooses to include it in their game.)

ModeratorLegend

The whole voice-chat thing is going to be terribly complicated. I don't see them implementing this very soon without more significant support on the games/publishers side. It would probably require a whole lot more coding. But I'm sure we'll find out in the near future if they have it on their list of things to do.

For now though, there are plenty of things here to like. Especially another Super Stardust update. We'll have to assume that the SDK enables at least these features for most of the games that are still coming, and some of the bigger games that will probably be updated.

Also, it's good for Home that this functionality is now in place at this level. It confirms my belief that all core functions of Home will be implemented at the FW level ... it just makes a whole lot more sense to do it that way then to have it interface with a separate Home TSR application, if you know what I mean. And from there it makes almost no sense not to have most of the stuff available in the XMB in some form or other, especially considering in-game applications.

Veteran

Well he demoed Pixeljunk Monsters with music from the HDD, so either the writer misunderstod something or he was playing an updated version of Pixeljunk Monsters.

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I think it was an updated version. I say this because during the demo he states "lays the groundwork for" in regards to the firmware update and in game music.

Something I think SCE should consider is making the PS Button a hotkey. For example, Hold the PS Button and immediately press R1 to skip ahead 1 track w/o bringing up any menus. Hold PS and Triangle to bring up that playback menu they demoed (w/o the full XMB). PS and Start to bring up a Live Text-Chat box (if implemented), or perhaps a voice chat overlay if they every implement that. That could make common functions much quicker and easier to access.

ModeratorLegend

The whole voice-chat thing is going to be terribly complicated. I don't see them implementing this very soon without more significant support on the games/publishers side.

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I don't see them implementing it full-stop. What was the big interest in in-game XMB if not access to friends? Having to exit the game to enable a headset once or twice in your life isn't a big deal, nor is seeing what your [strike]achievements[/strike] trophies are versus your friends. The thing with in game XMB is that in XMB you can start a chat, and so in game XMB would enable you to use that same XMB function in a game, right? To open a local audio conversation with riends and keep that open, and private, regardless of what else you're doing. If Sony are rolling out this big, user requested improvement, without incorparating chat now, I can't see nay reason to expect them to ever do so. They've never said they would - we were just expecting them to do things differently.

Legend

"I'll send a message to Jeff in the ordinary way." And why doesn't he show putting in a message? Because it takes half an hour on a controller for input!

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Get an old USB keyboard
XMB navigation is best (fastest, most natural) with the keyboard -- when the mapping is available.

Alternatively, enable voice recording for XMB message. They should have default subject lines for us to send an XMB message just by recording our voice. Attachment is supported anyway.

It does look nice, though needs an autopause for the game, but I can't help but feel disappointed that the principle need for XMB (IMO) wasn't addressed. If cross-game voice chat isn't here in 2.4 with in-game XMB, will it ever be added?

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It's up in the air.

The next milestone is Playstation Home game launching (already in beta). You will be able to communicate using various modes in the Home lobby. It also implies that there is a hook to jump into a game directly from Home. Once the mechanism is available, we may (or may not !) be able to jump between the XMB chat room and a game session too -- *hopefully* for people who don't use Home.

Regular

The next milestone is Playstation Home game launching (already in beta). You will be able to communicate using various modes in the Home lobby. It also implies that there is a hook to jump into a game directly from Home. Once the mechanism is available, we may (or may not !) be able to jump between the XMB chat room and a game session too -- *hopefully* for people who don't use Home.

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So what you described was basically XMB as it stands now with shiny avatars.

What purpose will Home allow, if you still can't do anything with anyone that is not in Home. That defeats the purpose as far as I am concerned.

I am not going to let myself get excited for some 'big changes' for any future added firmware/software updates. I'm solely left on the seeing when believing stage. And yet, here I am again, left hoping Home will add some type of social voice chat.

Legend

So what you described was basically XMB as it stands now with shiny avatars.

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Most people would focus on the shiny 3D UI and avatars. Home also brings clan rooms, integrated game lobbies, media sharing, etc. to the platform. For example, in Warhawk, the players can strategize with a real 3D map in the lobby. In Uncharted, you get to explore the level before a game. It's really up to the developers to determine what Home means to their games.

After the announcement of "Life with Playstation", I think some of these so-called Home features (like media sharing) may be available at the PSN layer, but Home is simply one of the first application to "expose" them to the end users.

What purpose will Home allow, if you still can't do anything with anyone that is not in Home. That defeats the purpose as far as I am concerned.

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They always have 2 basic approaches:
* Give more incentives to Home users
* Make key services available at the PSN level (also accessible to XMB).

I am not going to let myself get excited for some 'big changes' for any future added firmware/software updates. I'm solely left on the seeing when believing stage. And yet, here I am again, left hoping Home will add some type of social voice chat.

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Home is confirmed to have voice chat (together with text chat and emotes). The question is, like you said, whether enough people will use Home; and whether it is good/convenient enough to catch players during lobby time. Some of these questions can only be answered by yourself and your friends. I think they will expand the Home beta soon, so hopefully we get some early indications.

I'd say it's probably easier to add voice messages to XMB first, and then add the voice chat in the game lobby (in Home or XMB).

If they want to have perpectual voice communication in all games, they will need to handpick a "free" voice infrastructure first.

Regular

Home is confirmed to have voice chat (together with text chat and emotes). The question is, like you said, whether enough people will use Home; and whether it is good/convenient enough to catch players during lobby time. Some of these questions can only be answered by yourself and your friends. I think they will expand the Home beta soon, so hopefully we get some early indications.

I'd say it's probably easier to add voice messages to XMB first, and then add the voice chat in the game lobby (in Home or XMB).

If they want to have perpectual voice communication in all games, they will need to handpick a "free" voice infrastructure first.

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So just to confirm, Home with voice chat is really no different then any other app/or game right now? If I am in Home, can I chat with someone in another game, or at the XMB? We would all need to be in the home lobby for that to work? If that's the case, that's the XMB.

What sense does it do to add these features to a 'free' software package that Sony is releasing, and not adding it to the core functionality of the console. Sounds like a desgin/implementation flaw to me. One that Sony is continuing to prove to ME months after I have purchased a PS3, and many months for others.

With that said, I'll try and vent my frustration to co-workers, and other friends who have been waiting!

Regular

However, you won't be able to initiate a voice chat. You also will not be able to use music from your hard drive, unless the game is specifically programed to take advantage of the feature. Unfortunately, no games will be able to take advantage of in-game custom soundtracks when the firmware update goes live. (However, future games and game patches can enable this feature. It depends on whether or not the developer chooses to include it in their game.

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Aaaaand there goes all my hopes of having a decent playlist while playing GT5(or MGS4 )

Veteran

Sure, it's weird that calling the XMB up doesn't automatically pause the game and I'd like to see the Levels of my friends when I glance at the who's online section, but during our session, Sony was already talking about Phase Two and Phase Three additions and plans.

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Of little consequence to many, as it will be seen as simply more talk, but it does reaffirm that they're still working on it. Cross talk could be in one of those phases (or not).

The ability to send/receive messages in-game fulfills my very limited usage of PSN. Outside of better voice support in games (although my experience with games that do support it has been far better than Shifty's).

2.4 isn't the end-all-be-all update that would bring parity with Live many hoped and some thought it would be (and perhaps needed to be). But I'm happy its a big step in the right direction.

Legend

Voice chat and cross game invites should complete the package later down the road.

It'll be interesting to see how they emphasize gamer level a year+ down the road when it's mandatory for all games. Similar to when you turn on your 360, your game score is on full display and so is everyone else's whey you goto your friends list of click on anyone's profile in a game.

Is there an option to prefer/avoid players? Also, what about reporting them?

Newcomer

I had gathered from the demo video that if the game music can be turned down, you could play your own tracks from your HDD. They wouldn't start and stop on cue with cut scenes and level ends, but you wouldn't have to have a separate source if you wanted to listen to your own music while playing a game. The in-game soundtrack feature would allow you to choose what tracks to play when and where during a game and would obviously be used in future titles at developers discretion.

Veteran

Legend

So just to confirm, Home with voice chat is really no different then any other app/or game right now? If I am in Home, can I chat with someone in another game, or at the XMB? We would all need to be in the home lobby for that to work? If that's the case, that's the XMB.

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The chat functionality is provided via PSN and is accessible from XMB also. As far as I can tell, what Home will add are:
* Mix mode communication (text, emote and voice) between users
* External game lobby/launcher, so that the players will come back to Home again, after every session. So you may be able to catch their attention while waiting in the lobby.

What sense does it do to add these features to a 'free' software package that Sony is releasing, and not adding it to the core functionality of the console. Sounds like a desgin/implementation flaw to me. One that Sony is continuing to prove to ME months after I have purchased a PS3, and many months for others.

With that said, I'll try and vent my frustration to co-workers, and other friends who have been waiting!

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I have no idea whether the extended lobby functions will be available to XMB as well. If the interface is available, it may be technically possible to add game launching to say... "Life with Playstation". I obviously don't know enough details to dwell deeper.

RobertR1 said:

Is there an option to prefer/avoid players? Also, what about reporting them?

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Black list is already available in PSN. So as long as the game integrates with the PSN friends list, then it should be supported automatically.

I think the way to "prefer" a player is to join the same clan. Right now there is no way to bulk move friends between lists/categories. Hopefully we can do that some time in the future.

Regular

I'm curious as to what original ideas they are actually going to come up with. Anyway, is there any in-game notification of new messages or friends coming online or do you have to keep pulling up the XMB to check?

Legend

If "They = Sony, then I would like them to focus more on usability. They have already announced and delivered many services. Now is the time to integrate them seamlessly across the entire Playstation family, and within PS3.

It just dawn on me that XBL's paid model may have encouraged members to talk more. It's a natural selection process (People who liked it paid for the service and continue to use them actively). For PSN, Sony may have to implement a wider range of communication options since many of us may not want to talk.

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